Determinants of the population growth of the West Nile virus mosquito vector Culex pipiens in a repeatedly affected area in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The recent spread of West Nile Virus in temperate countries has raised concern. Predicting the likelihood of transmission is crucial to ascertain the threat to Public and Veterinary Health. However, accurate models of West Nile Virus (WNV) expansion in Europe may be hampered by limited understanding of the population dynamics of their primary mosquito vectors and their response to environmental changes.

Methods

We used data collected in north-eastern Italy (2009-2011) to analyze the determinants of the population growth rate of the primary WNV vector Culex pipiens. A series of alternative growth models were fitted to longitudinal data on mosquito abundance to evaluate the strength of evidence for regulation by intrinsic density-dependent and/or extrinsic environme

SUBMITTER: Mulatti P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3896690 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature